January 25-28, 2000: Matriarchy 1,2,& 3 (A Retrospective)

[LoneCourier6]

Whoo boy...These three...What do I say about these three...Welp first off? I should start off by noting these are totally Satirical... They're likely to set off the Rad Fems that are presently attracted to this Comic, but I'll just note that in Later Matriarchy Strips these three aren't particularly effective guerillas, I'll admit to still getting a chuckle out of these strips but my sense of humor is also juvenile.

But I will ponder this more serious question, would Xanthe's ideal world be one where the Patriarchy is overthrown would she see a Matriarchy imposed? Instead of a Dark Lord we would have a Queen not dark but as beautiful and as terrible as the Dawn? It's tricky to tell but of the Sisterhood she appears to be the most Extremist and bullheaded. Of the Sisterhood I personally like the Fifth Sister( She doesn't have a name yet weirdly but she also has the fewest appearances) who nursed the Dragon back to health and Clio who realizes that outside brainwashing is in play and tries to free everyone from it.

[RikkiTikkiTavi]

This is hardly going to set off any RadFems reading these strips. This is reminiscent of ads from suffragette era portraying what the world would be like if women got the vote.

Funny enough the strips are eerily similar to the stereotypical theme of what the trans movement seems to think of women.

Enjoying this retrospective. I have never had time to delve deeply into the archives and the first dozen years are a mystery to me. Thanks for making this wayback machine.

[LoneCourier6]

This is hardly going to set off any RadFems reading these strips. This is reminiscent of ads from suffragette era portraying what the world would be like if women got the vote.

Funny enough the strips are eerily similar to the stereotypical theme of what the trans movement seems to think of women.

Enjoying this retrospective. I have never had time to delve deeply into the archives and the first dozen years are a mystery to me. Thanks for making this wayback machine.

Well I'm happy to provide a easy way to enjoy the old strips without compelling you to binge through the archives, which would just take *ages*, I'm looking forward to getting to Nique's first appearance myself. People will disagree with me on my thoughts on her but I thought she was *always* a strong female character.

[Z6IIAB]

This is hardly going to set off any RadFems reading these strips. This is reminiscent of ads from suffragette era portraying what the world would be like if women got the vote.

Funny enough the strips are eerily similar to the stereotypical theme of what the trans movement seems to think of women.

exactly

[Z6IIAB]

I have never had time to delve deeply into the archives and the first dozen years are a mystery to me. Thanks for making this wayback machine.

I have read them all and spoiler alert: they are pretty dull lol. it's just tat's dudebro phase, trying to figure out things, pretty mediocre. but yknow, see it for yourself, there's no harm in it \o

[Z6IIAB]

People will disagree with me on my thoughts on her but I thought she was *always* a strong female character.

she was always a strong female character, even if she initially bought into the "empowerment" idea of sexualizing her own body.

[LoneCourier6]

People will disagree with me on my thoughts on her but I thought she was *always* a strong female character.

she was always a strong female character, even if she initially bought into the "empowerment" idea of sexualizing her own body.

She knew what she wanted, she went and did what she wanted, and that's what she still does, so I'll respect her for that even if I disagree with her choice of abandoning her old friends who had been with her through thick and thin for years just because they didn't automatically agree with her new Technology Assisted Revelation rather than try to ease them into it.

EDIT: I place a high value upon friendship if it isn't obvious...I have no real problem with RadFem Monique...The problem I have is with the way she cut ties with Slick and Squig.

[Russly]

Isn't that incredibly dangerous to change with the world like that? Nique like dived headfirst into the Radfem and in essence did break up with Slick. He's the one who has to accept that. On the other hand, Slick didn't change, and maybe that's good, or at least for a reason. Sleaze may be trying to get Slick to change for better or for worse, and Slick seems to not be having it. It's important for original representation to remain if it's supposed to be the -same- comic. So, something may be happening with that.

I am strange in that I'm a fan of those original strips just as much as I am the current ones. When I originally read every strip, for a while they were all slam dunks, but then there would be these periods that were more eh and -didn't- line up with the feminist change. Only since Trump and corona has Tat been on fire more consistently again. Guy is patient.

The Insurgent Group technically never did disband, and Nana's shop is closed. For all intents and purposes that "Matriarchal Society" it shows really is like -the- opposite mimicry of the current patriarchal one. There is a slight chance it is in the nature of the battle of the sexes to be endless. Our universe exists on a backdrop of pain and without struggle there's no meaning in being worth existence in our universe.

So as for the comic's universe? Crim would never return to the Insurgent Group, and doesn't have to if he never left. The Secret Sinister Sisterhood Of Spooky Shit And The Pro Men Guerrilla Insurgent Group. These are the technical camps we speak of, and if I was really so daring I'd ship Slick with Xanthe right off the bat. Like her original line of "then I'll stare at -him- for a bit" makes me think of that Arlo And Janis where he's just looking at her and she makes the joke about looking back. And why? Because D Man is the one playing it up and really making peace with each other is how we beat him. He doesn't care which groups are fighting, because any fighting is what he's after.

-Russly

[LoneCourier6]

And Slick for the most part has accepted that he and Monique have drifted apart, with most of the Mischief occurring on Sleaze's End, but I hope to one day see them reconcile.

[Z6IIAB]

People will disagree with me on my thoughts on her but I thought she was *always* a strong female character.

she was always a strong female character, even if she initially bought into the "empowerment" idea of sexualizing her own body.

She knew what she wanted, she went and did what she wanted, and that's what she still does, so I'll respect her for that even if I disagree with her choice of abandoning her old friends who had been with her through thick and thin for years just because they didn't automatically agree with her new Technology Assisted Revelation rather than try to ease them into it.

EDIT: I place a high value upon friendship if it isn't obvious...I have no real problem with RadFem Monique...The problem I have is with the way she cut ties with Slick and Squig.

cutting ties- bullshit she hasn't cut ties. they just stopped talking. also, people grow apart, especially when some of them happen to be sexist douchebags that won't change for shit. just think before you talk nonsense like that, "friendship" my ass. sexists aren't women's friends.

[Russly]

Woah there we're talking about the original comic, where 'Nique meets Slick -by- asking to make out with him. In fact, yeah, -she- asked him to didn't she...? Talk about mixed messages. However, he remains sexist, chauvinistic and so on as long as Sleaze runs rampant, this is true. So, 'Nique -did- become friends with him on less than ideal terms, and -did- realize with time to leave him alone until he accepts reality better. We'll know whether she cut ties with him by now based on how they act when they next meet. Indeed not too likely thankfully!

-Russly

[RKA]

Funny enough the strips are eerily similar to the stereotypical theme of what the trans movement seems to think of women.

Uh... what? I'm curious what sources or statements led you to draw that conclusion about the trans movement because I've not seen that as part of the message from any reputable member of the community or advocacy group... well, other than Kaitlyn Jenner, who has always been something of a misogynist from what I understand

[RikkiTikkiTavi]

Funny enough the strips are eerily similar to the stereotypical theme of what the trans movement seems to think of women.

Uh... what? I'm curious what sources or statements led you to draw that conclusion about the trans movement because I've not seen that as part of the message from any reputable member of the community or advocacy group... well, other than Kaitlyn Jenner, who has always been something of a misogynist from what I understand

"reputable member of the community" - Just who is the defined authority? And what a brilliant statement. Anything someone would state can just be relegated to the 'they are not a reputable member of the community or advocacy group' - I think I will start using this for when anyone complains about anything.

I have seen sources and statements that identify women as a list of 'behaviors' and 'clothing worn' and 'a feeling' - and there are so many misogynistic posts - and there is the whole 'definition of terf' as basically any woman who has anything critical to say regarding the TRA. And now women are being called 'non-trans women'. And any girl who likes the things a boy likes - who does not want to demonstrate 'femininity' is actually trans and needs surgery. But you are claiming all of them must be 'fringe' and not 'reputable members'.

These statements happen - this theme exists - there is not a basis of disagreement that could be reasonable. I do not need to provide proof of every instance because your statement does not invalidate my experience.

'Other than Kaitlyn Jenner' - so, not a valid part of the trans movement?

Movements are defined not just by the 'reputable members' but also, to the public at large by the fringe elements. In fact it seems the fringe or outrageous members of movements often become the definition of movements in the public eye. Great harm to reasonable movements is done by the fringe.

[Russly]

Damn Tavi not messing around this time hahaha. How the hell you think you about to convert the porn church Tavi? These are forces more complex than we know. What happened at the end of Her? The computers transcended! Lucy transcended! Like what?!

However, here is one loophole. The mass media principle that all fringe moves toward the center. It cycles or something, enjoy that twist! The fringe isn't the fringe, and that's dangerous, isn't it?

-Russly

[RikkiTikkiTavi]

So true Russly. The fringe does not stay the fringe does it. And absolutely it is just a cycle. All this focus and angst - all this drama regarding gender - this is just the thing of the moment. The IT girl does not stay the IT girl for long.

This too shall pass. And who knows what the next 'popular' earth shaking ideology will be. But with the pendulum swung out so far one way there is likely to be a correction back the other direction. And rapid too - like a widely swung pendulum.

Any guesses as to what the next major shift will be? Alien chasing (like storm chasing), Mars travel spawning a host of 'martian identifying' dysphoria, the abandonment of money and we can only buy things with certified jpegs - ???